"Rumble, rumble..."
A slight vibration reached the general conference room, but no one's attention was diverted by it. Instead, everyone focused on the control panel in front of Yang Hui. That dark void lit up as a brand-new plot of land solidified from The Void. This territory was larger than all the previously constructed areas combined, and several plus signs appeared on the blank land.
Yang Hui clicked on the plus signs one by one. His expression became more and more vibrant, and his mood grew increasingly joyful.
"Larval ELS Hatchery, ELS Consciousness Network Center, Companion ELS Fusion Device..."
There were only a few plus signs, but each one was incredibly significant.
The Larval ELS Hatchery did not refer to manufacturing existing ELS. Since the ELS were a collective consciousness, the birth of a new ELS was not like animal reproduction, nor was it as simple as creating a body for an ELS to use. Rather, it produced entirely new ELS consciousnesses from nothing. The ELS consciousnesses born here would be imprinted with the mark of Prometheus Fortress from the moment of their inception, distinguishing them from the original ELS swarm and forming a new group—much like two different human tribes in ancient times.
The ELS Consciousness Network Center was equivalent to an ELS homeworld. it was the gathering place for ELS consciousnesses. All ELS consciousnesses born in Prometheus Fortress would concentrate here while waiting for new bodies, and they would return to the ELS Consciousness Network Center upon losing their bodies. Simultaneously, within the ELS Consciousness Network Center, ELS consciousnesses would be statistically analyzed, organized, and expressed through scientific methods, much like segments of programming. This meant there was no need for Brain Quantum Waves or for ELS to fully mimic humans for communication.
The Companion ELS Fusion Device differed from direct assimilation, where one's consciousness was uploaded into the ELS collective swarm. Instead, it allowed a person to have an ELS of their own. They would not merge into one but would exist as a single unit, resonating and connecting through Brain Quantum Waves, much like a companion pet in a game. When necessary, the companion ELS could temporarily merge with its partner to enhance combat effectiveness and separate afterward.
Regarding the enhancement of combat power, a newborn ELS certainly wouldn't provide much of a boost to top-tier members like Yang Hui. However, merging with an ELS improved a person's physical fitness and cognitive abilities. Most notably, it greatly enhanced Psychic Energy, accelerated reaction speeds, reduced neural fatigue, and sped up energy recovery. For grassroots personnel—especially ordinary humans—this was a massive upgrade. It was also the best choice for members who coveted the Brain Quantum Waves of the ELS but were unwilling to abandon their human identity.
Furthermore, a newborn ELS would grow alongside its partner. Over time, as the bond with the companion deepened, the companion ELS would grow, providing even greater support. There was even the possibility of it growing into a large-scale ELS, which would be equivalent to an individual owning a private Warship.
Of course, the requirements for this were undoubtedly quite stringent.
There was also a restriction: a person was only allowed to have one companion from another race. This was a limitation of Prometheus Fortress. Otherwise, people wouldn't even need to fight for themselves; they could just sign a contract with every new race that joined Prometheus Fortress. If that happened, their roles would shift from scientific MS pilots and captains to something more like magical summoners.
Additionally, companion ELS could "die." Their consciousness would not perish but would return to the ELS Consciousness Network Center to be resurrected. However, after resurrection, they would need to grow again from zero—the same logic as a character being deleted in a game and needing to be rebuilt.
"Hmm, this is a long-term investment," Rau analyzed. A newborn companion ELS provided limited help, but if it could successfully grow, it would become a significant asset.
"And even if the ELS don't form companion relationships with members, they can grow on their own. We can still possess an ELS army," Gopp said.
"But the initial investment is huge. The lowest-level Larval ELS Hatchery can only produce a small number of new ELS each mission cycle, and they can't self-replicate through fission like the original species," Revil analyzed. "By the way, Mephis, what will happen to the ELS who joined Prometheus Fortress from the Gundam OO World?"
[Similar to the ELS born in the fortress, their consciousnesses will be loaded into the ELS Consciousness Network Center built by the fortress. They will join the new group and lose the ability to reproduce through fission.]
"What do you think? Is that acceptable?" Yang Hui asked the ELS around his neck. It could relay the information just discussed to all the ELS that had come to Prometheus Fortress, though it couldn't reach the ELS in the Gundam OO World or their homeworld.
"Mm, it's no problem for me." Even though the ELS were a collective consciousness race, each consciousness had its own thoughts. "Everyone else says they have no objections either, but I don't know about Mama's side. How about I go back and ask?"
"Yes, that would be for the best." The "Mama" the ELS spoke of was not the homeworld, but the very first ELS to be born—the mother of all ELS.
Yang Hui didn't think all ELS would come to Prometheus Fortress. After all, what the ELS had always sought was a home to live in, not battle or a mission. The fact that a group of ELS could come to Prometheus Fortress this time was partly due to Yang Hui's deal with them, and partly because, like this necklace, they had a good foundation of friendship with the members of the Promis Legion.
Still, the more that came, the better. At least it would bolster the base of the new population and give more people the chance to choose.
"Alrighty then." The necklace around Yang Hui's neck suddenly unfastened and floated in the air, melting into a globule of liquid before turning into a tiny spike, many times smaller than its original size. It zipped out of the general conference room doors in a flash.
"Completely different from your personality; quite the firecracker," everyone laughed and shook their heads, teasing Yang Hui.
Yang Hui shrugged in response. None of the ELS were "mature," including the one they called Mama. Having just gained concrete cognitive and expressive abilities, they were all like children. How could they not be energetic?
Following that, Yang Hui directly constructed all the buildings in the ELS territory. Since the ELS were willing to leave their original swarm to come to Prometheus Fortress, he, as their host, had to build a complete home for them, didn't he?
Then, the group spent a solid half-day calculating how to maximize the use of the construction and reinforcement opportunities they had earned this time. They finally settled on a plan: prioritize upgrading all buildings in the ELS territory to LV.5 to catch up with the average level, then upgrade important areas like the Research Institute and Production Zone, and finally build and upgrade several Mining Zones.
The rewards seemed abundant, but when it came time to use them, they still felt insufficient. They were exhausted in the blink of an eye.
When the meeting ended, the group dispersed, and all the new changes to Prometheus Fortress were communicated downward.
"Great! We don't have to just guard the base anymore!"
"Yeah, guarding the base every time was so stifling."
"What choice did we have? If you're weak, you can't grab a slot for a mission."
"The Exchange System... sigh, the freebies are gone."
"Idiot, if it stayed free forever, would you even have the face to take it?"
"Exactly! The Specialized Ace Machines are basically designed by the Commander-in-Chief and his team. The aces are either top-tier powerhouses from various worlds or were personally trained by the Commander-in-Chief. If they gave you one, would you even feel right taking it?"
"Actually, I wouldn't. Besides, I couldn't even pilot those Mobile Suits."
"Want to go to the Central Hall and take a look?"
"Let's go, let's go! I heard the number of missions is limited; you have to grab them!"
"Then what are we waiting for? Move!"
In an instant, the usually quiet Central Hall became bustling. It was a sea of people; if the space hadn't been expanded, it wouldn't have been able to fit them all.
"The missions are out!"
"Go to the workstations to claim them!"
The mission list refreshed on the various screens in the Central Hall. Everyone surged toward the central workstations at once. Yunoa and the others responsible for processing the requests were startled.
However, everyone maintained basic discipline. They knew to line up rather than pile onto the workstations in a mob.
"Just a reminder, the risk factor for this mission is a bit high. Are you sure you want to take it?"
"Your mission has been successfully claimed. Good luck to all of you, and return safely."
"The mission you want to claim requires fleet-scale participation, so..."
...
Yunoa and a dozen or so family members of the legion were working feverishly. Originally, their jobs had been the most leisurely. Before the Mercenary Mission System opened, they were essentially living a life of paid vacation. Now, they were so busy they couldn't stop.
However, they didn't complain. Having been idle for so long, they had wanted their lives to be more fulfilling. Although they weren't quite used to it yet, they would adapt quickly.
Moreover, while it was busy now, that was only because the Mercenary Mission System had just opened and everyone was taking missions for the first time. As time passed, factors like mission difficulty, requirements, and risk levels would influence everyone's judgment. Before choosing a mission, they would certainly think it through carefully, and they wouldn't all rush to take missions at once. It wouldn't stay this busy forever.
"Whew~ Everyone's spirits are high," Dearka whistled, leaning against a pillar by the entrance of the Central Hall with his arms crossed.
"That's only natural. Who comes here and doesn't want to get stronger?" Yzak stood beside Dearka, watching the scene unfold.
It wasn't just the two of them; other members of the original mission teams were there, as were some prospective mission team members—those who were just a step away from being able to go to Mission Worlds.
"Not going to snatch one?"
"Ha? Do we really need to compete with them?"
"True. It's a rare opportunity for them; we won't take it."
"It would be embarrassing. We're already capable of carrying out major missions; to snatch their opportunities would be going too far."
"Exactly."
They all shared a tacit understanding, leaving this chance to the members who had absolutely no hope of going to a Mission World. Everyone was a comrade; they might not be close, or they might even be strangers, but they were all members of the Promis Legion. No one wanted to see those around them fall behind or become a burden.
"Let's go. Back to training."
"The companion ELS sounds interesting. I plan to go find out more about it."
"I don't need to. I already have one."
"You silicon-based life form, shut up!"
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